A warm welcome to the Bangor Music Festival 2026, and to a feast of various concerts, workshops, talks and community events that takes place over a period of two days.

The theme that runs through the majority of these events is ‘relationships’, which in terms of the creative process might be associated with the mutual collaboration forged between composer and performer, or the relationship between different ensemble parts to each other, or even the connection between various tonal keys or other musical aspects within a piece: the possibilities are endless…

We welcome back the enchanting Ensemble CGWM, where they will premiere Festival commissions by Lowri Mair Jones and Nicholas Olsen. Llŷr Williams is highly regarded world-wide as one of the foremost solo pianists and we will experience the music by two 20th century giants and friends in Britten and Shostakovich, amongst the 2nd (highly important) performance of recent pieces by Welsh composers. As a fitting finale, we will be enchanted by the recent and past creative collaborations between the talented flautist Richard Craig (alongside Electroacoustic Cymru) and many composers over the years and in recent times, with the premiere of Festival commissions by Alice Priggen, Bethan Morgan-Williams and Tristan Rhys Williams being the most recent examples.

Many thanks to all our generous sponsors, to Bangor University, to the dedicated Pontio staff, our enthusiastic volunteers and all the performers, artists and composers involved. Enjoy the music!